Trial & Retribution

Trial & Retribution starts as a steady, methodical police drama that follows major criminal investigations from the first discovery of a crime through to courtroom outcomes. Lynda La Plante created the series as a follow-up to Prime Suspect, and each story is given room to develop across two feature-length parts, normally shown over two nights. The series centers on Detective Superintendent Michael Walker and his squad as they piece together evidence, question suspects, and cope with the emotional cost of long, drawn-out inquiries. Across its run the show kept a focus on procedure and legal consequence rather than quick thrills, with the twelfth series airing in February 2009.

Created and written by Lynda La Plante for ITV, Trial & Retribution premiered in 1997. Episodes are feature-length and usually split into a two-night broadcast, and the cast includes David Hayman as Det. Supt. Michael Walker, Victoria Smurfit as DCI Roison Connor, Dorian Lough as DS David Satchell, and Mitchell Ray.

Because it followed on from Prime Suspect and stuck with a slow-burn case format, the series helped keep a steady audience for UK police drama in the late 90s and 2000s. Its two-part structure made each investigation feel weighty, and the show became known for procedural detail that fans could discuss episode to episode. It ran long enough to become a familiar presence on ITV crime schedules.

Critical response was mixed to positive, reflected in a modest fan score of 6.8 out of 10 from a small number of votes, with many viewers appreciating the emphasis on investigation and courtroom fallout while others found the pacing deliberate. Themes include the moral compromises of policing, the toll of long investigations on victims and detectives, and the messy intersection of evidence, law, and public pressure. The acting, especially Hayman’s steady lead, often anchors the series, giving the procedural elements a human center.